The Disney show will receive an all-new staging this holiday season with direction by Glenn Casale.

Jennifer Allen
Bruce Bennett

Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre will present a new production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid this holiday season with direction by Glenn Casale (Peter Pan on Broadway). Diana Huey will star as Ariel along with Sister Act’sJennifer Allen as Ursula.

Diana Huey
Mark Kitaoka

Performances of The Little Mermaid are scheduled to run November 23-December 31; the show is then slated to play in Orlando, Cincinnati, Atlanta and Louisville, among other cities. The cast includes Matthew Kacergis as Prince Eric, Steven Blanchard as King Triton, Melvin Abston as Sebastian, Connor Russell as Flounder and Jamie Torcellini as Scuttle. John MacInnis choreographs.

The Little Mermaid features music by Alan Menken, book by Doug Wright and lyrics by Glenn Slater and Howard Ashman. Based on the Disney animated film and Hans Christian Anderson’s classic tale, the stage musical follows the story of headstrong Ariel, a mermaid with dreams beyond the ocean floor.

The Broadway production debuted in 2007 under the direction of Francesca Zambello. Casale was invited to re-imagine the show in 2012, making significant plot changes, introducing aerial elements and featuring a new set design by Bob Crowley—which are reflected in the Seattle staging.

“The 5th Avenue Theatre has a tradition of producing a spectacular musical treat for families at the holidays, and The Little Mermaid is no exception,” said executive producer and artistic director David Armstrong in a statement. “Audiences will be transported through the magic of live theatre to a kingdom under the sea and drawn into a story that, at its heart, is about family, adventure and a young girl coming-of-age.”